


Day 25: Murder / Unsolved Mystery

by mrs_d



Series: Do What I Wantober 2020 [25]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: F/M, dealing with the devil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:40:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27207535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrs_d/pseuds/mrs_d
Summary: “Really?” Ella said, her eyes huge. “You’d do that?”“Certainly. For a price,” Lucifer stipulated, and Chloe recognized the devious look in his eyes all too well.
Relationships: Chloe Decker & Ella Lopez, Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar, Ella Lopez & Lucifer Morningstar
Series: Do What I Wantober 2020 [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947496
Comments: 8
Kudos: 80





	Day 25: Murder / Unsolved Mystery

“Ugh,” Ella said suddenly. 

Chloe looked up, grateful for a distraction from the grisly crime scene photos in front of her. “What?”

“Oh, nothing,” said Ella, in that way that meant that it was something. “My friend Clara just texted me,” she went on. “She wanted to remind me about her birthday party this weekend. I already told her I don’t want to go, but she isn’t listening. I don’t know how to say it again without really hurting her feelings.” 

“That’s rough,” Chloe empathized. “Why don’t you want to want to go?” 

Ella sighed. “Well, her party is kind of a... themed thing.”

Chloe frowned. It wasn’t like Ella to be so cagey about her social life. Chloe immediately began to wonder what kind of theme she was talking about. Visions of an Lucifer-ian orgy flashed before her eyes. Or maybe Ella really was a furry, and it really was a sex thing, or— 

“Okay, whatever you’re imagining, stop it,” Ella laughed. “That’s on me for leaving you hanging, I guess. I promise it’s nothing bad. Just something that some cops get kinda twitchy about, you know?”

“That... isn’t making it better,” Chloe said slowly. 

“Right! Sorry, I forgot to do the whole telling you part.” Ella faked smacking herself in the forehead and chuckled again. “It’s a murder mystery night,” she explained. “You know, where you come in costume and stay in character until the mystery is solved. Kinda like LARP-ing a game of Clue.”

“Oh,” said Chloe. She didn’t understand the last part of what Ella just said, but the first was clear enough. “Costumes, characters, games — I would’ve thought that’d be right up your alley.”

“Usually, sure,” Ella agreed, “but murder? Nuh-huh. I get enough of that here, you know?”

Chloe nodded. Playing Clue with Trixie and her friends every once in a while was one thing, but playing detective at a party just sounded like work. 

“The fun kinda goes out of it when you’ve actually seen, well, you know,” Ella added, gesturing at the close-ups of blood spatter in front of Chloe. 

“Yeah,” Chloe agreed heavily. 

“And I tried to tell Clara that,” Ella went on. “But she doesn’t get it. She doesn’t see why I can’t just turn that part of my brain off and play the game. To her, it’s all in fun, but to me— to us—”

“Yeah,” Chloe said again. 

“Anyway,” Ella sighed. “I’m sorry, this isn’t your problem. Thanks for letting me vent.”

“Any time,” said Chloe. “What are you gonna do?”

“No idea,” Ella said. “I think for now, I’m gonna leave that up to future Ella. Hopefully she’ll figure something out.”

Chloe nodded. Through the glass door behind her, Chloe saw Lucifer head to her desk. When he discovered she wasn’t there, he turned, and Chloe waved to get his attention. 

“Good morning, ladies,” he said a moment later, striding into the room. “What are we up to?”

“Blood spatter analysis,” Chloe said, sliding the folder in his direction. 

“And interpersonal problems,” Ella added, which, of course, caught Lucifer’s attention far more than a gory crime scene. 

“Oooh,” he said. “Do tell.”

Ella recapped the situation for him, and when she’d finished, Lucifer grinned. “Well, that’s easy,” he said. “I’ll offer your friend a change in venue, host the party at Lux. Private access before the club opens, free drinks for the birthday girl all night, and, best of all, no cheesy mystery to solve. How’s that sound?”

“Really?” Ella said, her eyes huge. “Clara would love that, she’s always wanted to go. You’d really do that?”

“Certainly. For a price,” Lucifer stipulated, and Chloe recognized the devious look in his eyes all too well. 

“Lucifer,” she warned, but he didn’t look her way.

“Well,” said Ella slowly. “I think you still kinda owe me for that... thing we don’t talk about,” she added, jerking her head at Chloe.

“What?” said Chloe. Both of them ignored her.

“Ah, ah, ah,” said Lucifer, raising one finger. “I paid that debt in full, Miss Lopez. I did as you asked, if you’ll recall.”

“You did,” Ella conceded, “but it seems like kind of a small ask, considering. I mean, I help you with... you know, and in return, you go to church with me? I mean—”

 _“What?”_ Chloe said again, and, again, they kept talking as if they hadn’t heard.

“Are you trying to retroactively change our deal, Miss Lopez?” Lucifer asked, stepping closer. He seemed to grow taller in the small space. “I must say, I didn’t think you had it in you.”

The hair on the back of Chloe’s neck stood suddenly on end. She didn’t think Lucifer would ever hurt Ella, but she had also seen what happened to people who tried to short-change the Devil. Ella had no idea who she was talking to, or what she was getting into. She was innocent of that side of him, and she needed to be protected from it. 

The words were out of Chloe’s mouth before she could stop them. “Do it for me.”

That got his attention. The spell broke as he turned to face her, plain old Lucifer again. Her lover, her friend, her partner, rather than the menacing Devil he’d been projecting a moment ago. She sighed in relief, and Ella did as well.

“Detective?” Lucifer said uncertainly.

“Host Clara’s party as a favor to me, and I’ll pay you back. Favor for favor,” she reiterated, looking him in the eye. “Name your price. Or, we can just call it an IOU, and you can cash it in later.”

She could tell he was intrigued. One with a divine sense of irony might even say he was tempted. 

“You told me you’d never make a deal like that,” he said.

“Yeah, well, I also told you I’d never sleep with you,” Chloe countered. “Hell hasn’t frozen over yet—”

“Not as far as we know, anyway,” Lucifer put in. He glanced at Ella, friendly like their earlier tense moment had never happened. “Haven’t been by recently to check.”

“Right,” said Ella, with a smile that wasn’t quite as bright as usual.

“Right,” Chloe agreed. “So why not push it? Make a deal with me, and we’ll see if we can get some snow on the ground down there in time for Christmas.”

“As much as that _would_ piss Dad off immensely,” Lucifer admitted, “I think I’ll have to pass. I don’t mix business with pleasure.”

“That’s all you do,” Chloe felt obligated to point out.

“Not _my_ business,” Lucifer amended, “nor _your_ pleasure. This one’s on me,” he added. “I’ll host the party for Miss Lopez’s friend as a freebie for you, Detective.”

“Thank you,” said Chloe pointedly.

“Aren’t I generous,” he agreed, grinning. “Now, the lieutenant sent me in here to inform you that there’s a witness waiting for us in Interview Room One.”

“What?” Chloe cried, jolted back to the here — she was at work — and now — she had a case. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Lucifer shrugged. “I’m telling you now.”

“Oh my—” Chloe cut herself off before the G-word escaped. She scrambled to gather up the papers she’d scattered across the table when she came in here to review the details with Ella. 

Lucifer watched her without offering to help. “Shall I fetch us some coffee and meet you in there?”

“Sure,” said Chloe, rolling her eyes. He left at once, and Chloe sighed. “Typical,” she muttered. 

“Yeah,” Ella agreed, but she placed a hand on Chloe’s arm before she could leave the lab. “Hey, uh. Thanks.”

“Of course,” said Chloe. Ella didn’t let go. 

“I didn’t— um. That was kinda scary,” she said, almost a whisper.

Chloe didn’t deny it. “He gets really uptight about deals,” she tried to explain. She saw an opportunity to refer to his true nature, but Ella would think she was joking, and she deserved better than that. “I don’t think he likes feeling like he owes anybody anything.”

“I guess I can understand that,” said Ella. She stepped back, but Chloe didn’t let her get far, pulling her into a hug that was only somewhat hampered by the folder of evidence in her hands. 

“Just— don’t do that again,” Chloe said, clinging to her. She felt a little silly, admonishing and warning Ella like this, but she really did want to keep her safe, even if she would never understand or believe the truth about what Chloe was keeping her safe from. “If you make a deal with him, you cash in the favor, and you walk away. All right?”

“Yeah,” Ella agreed. She broke the hug and smiled, only a little shaky, at Chloe. “Guess I know why you guys have such a high solve rate. He just— just turned it _on,_ you know?”

“I know,” said Chloe.

“He must be a really good actor,” Ella added. 

Chloe nodded wordlessly. She sent Ella another smile, and left the lab. She had a murder to solve, and the Devil was waiting.


End file.
